Decanter stopper with a vacuum pressure indicator

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are systems and methods for preserving wine in a decanter. The system comprises a stopper adapted for engaging and airtight sealing the mouth of the decanter; the stopper comprises a valve assembly operable to draw and maintain a pressure differential within the decanter and a pressure indicator operable to indicate vacuum pressure within the vessel. The system further comprises a pump operable to engage the valve assembly and to draw gas from within the decanter to an external atmosphere.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the systems and methods for preserving wine and more specifically to a decanter stopper having means for drawing and maintaining a vacuum within the decanter and a vacuum pressure indicator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A decanter is a vessel used for holding the results of decantation where a liquid beverage from another vessel is poured into the decanter and the sedimentary remainder of the liquid is left in the original vessel. Decanters are commonly used to store various alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including wines, juices and the like. Decanters come in various shapes and sized and may be ornate and suitable for serving the liquid beverages. A decanter usually comprises a vessel having a spherical body and a narrow, elongated neck. Decanters often come with stoppered lids, which, in addition to preventing accidental spilling of the liquid from the vessel, prevent excessive exposure of the beverage to the air, which may cause deterioration of the beverage contained therein.

For example, once an alcoholic beverage, such as wine, is transferred into the decanter, it is usually allowed to “breathe” for a half an hour or so. Exposing the wine to air for this short time is known to improve the wine. Exposure of the wine to air for longer periods, such as six hours or more, however, tends to deteriorate the wine. In particular, oxygen present in the air contacting the unconsumed wine in the decanter will oxidize the wine, resulting in off-flavors in the unconsumed wine. Similarly, the quality of non-carbonated soft drinks may deteriorate upon exposure to air due to oxidation or other chemical reactions. Therefore, the decanters are often sealed with a stopper shortly after transfer of the beverage thereto to prevent oxidation of the beverage.

Some wine enthusiasts go even further in the attempt to preserve the unconsumed wine. For example, one known method for saving the unconsumed wine from the oxidation caused by the air trapped in the partially filled stoppered bottle is to remove the trapped air using a pump system, whereby drawing a vacuum within the bottle. Such systems comprise a bottle stopper having a valve therein and a vacuum pump. The operation of the pump may open the valve, thereby extracting the air from the bottle and drawing a vacuum therein. Once the pump is removed, the valve closes by the pressure difference across the valve or other means; thereby the contents of the bottle are preserved in the substantially air-free environment. To open the bottle, the valve must be manually opened, which would allow air to flow back into the bottle and the stopper to be removed.

Even though the above-described prior art systems are relatively simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture, they have several shortcomings. For one, a seal formed by the stopper valve is generally not very stable and prone to failure due to natural and mechanical causes. For example, the presence of liquid or dust particles on the valve may result in a leaky seal, decompressurization of the bottle, and inadvertent penetration of air into the bottle. Furthermore, repeated use of the stopper as well as the pressure differential across thereof may result in degradation of its elastic properties. Should the seal fail due to these or other reasons and allow air to enter the bottle, the wine will deteriorate due to oxidation or other chemical reactions. The system however provides no suitable means for detecting the failure of the seal and the resulted decompressurization of the bottle. Such failure, if remained undiscovered, will allow deterioration of the wine to progress undetected. Another shortcoming of the prior art pump systems is that the provided stoppers are usually configured to only fit the standard-size wine bottles and thus are not suitable for decanters, which typically have much wider neck openings.

Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an improved system for preserving wine and other beverages stored in a decanter from deterioration due to oxidation and other chemical reactions caused by the presence of air in the decanter. More specifically, there is a need to provide a stopper system having means for drawing and maintaining a vacuum within the decanter and for providing a visible indication in the event of the decompressurization of the decanter. Furthermore, it is desirable for the stopper system to be readily manufactured using standard manufacturing processes and using commonly available materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a stopper system is provided comprising a cylindrical body having a lower potion adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth and for forming an airtight seal therein and an enclosed upper portion having a first and a second openings. The stopper further comprises a valve assembly disposed within the first opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body. The valve assembly may be operable to draw and maintain a pressure differential within the vessel. The stopper further comprises a pressure indicator disposed within the second opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body for measuring vacuum pressure within the vessel. The pressure indicator may comprise an analog or digital vacuum gauge. The stopper further comprises an elastic sheath dispose around the lower portion of the cylindrical body. The sheath may have a plurality of ridges extending radially outward for forming an airtight sealing contact with the vessel mouth.

In one embodiment, the valve assembly of the decanter stopper comprises a rigid cover having an orifice therethrough and a flange. It further comprises a spring and a valve extending through the spring and through the orifice of the cover. The valve assembly further comprises an elastic frame having a circumferential lip defining a groove for engaging the flange of the cover, wherein the lower portion of the frame is adapted for insertion into the first opening in the upper portion of the stopper and wherein the upper portion of the frame is adapted for engaging a pump.

In another embodiment, the valve assembly of the decanter stopper comprises an elastic outer frame having a lower flange extending radially inward to define a lower orifice having a sealing surface and an upper flange portion extending radially outward and having a circumferential groove on the inner surface thereof. The valve assembly further comprises a rigid inner frame having an upper flange extending radially outward to engage the circumferential groove and an upper flange extending radially inward to define an upper orifice. A valve extends through the upper orifice to the lower orifice and having a flange extending radially outward for engaging the inward extending upper flange of the inner frame and a lower portion for engaging the sealing surface of lower orifice of the outer frame.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for preserving beverage in a vessel using a stopper adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth is disclosed. The method comprises the stopper airtight sealing the vessel mouth, providing a path through the stopper for withdrawing air from within the vessel into the external atmosphere, thereby drawing a vacuum therein, measuring the vacuum pressure within the vessel, displaying in a human-readable form the measured vacuum pressure, and airtight sealing the air path through the stopper to maintain the pressure differential within the vessel. The method further comprises detecting a vacuum pressure drop within the vessel and displaying in a human-readable form the detected vacuum pressure drop.

The method further comprises providing a valve assembly operable to provide the air path through the stopper and providing a valve operable to airtight seal the air path through the valve assembly. The method further comprises providing a pressure indicator operable to measure vacuum pressure within the vessel and display the measured pressure in a human-readable form. The method further comprises providing a pump adapted to engage the valve assembly and to draw air from within the vessel to an external atmosphere.

The disclosed systems and methods have several improvements and advantages of the prior art. One such advantage is that the invention provides means for drawing and maintaining vacuum within the decanter and thereby preserving unconsumed wine or other beverages stored in a decanter from deterioration due to oxidation and other chemical reactions. Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides means for indicating a decompressurization of the decanter. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that is can be readily manufactured using standard manufacturing processes and using commonly available materials. Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and detailed description of the specific embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the following drawings, which are meant to be exemplary only and are not limiting on the scope of the present invention, and in which

FIG. 1 is an elevated view of the stopper in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the stopper in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the valve assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the valve assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the pressure gauge in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the stopper depicted as positioned on the neck of a decanter in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart diagram depicting a method for preserving beverage in a decanter in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of the various embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited by the following description and by the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an elevated and section views, respectively, of a stopper for a decanter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment the present invention. The stopper 10 comprises a one-piece, integral, cylindrical body having an upper enclosed portion 12 and lower portion 14, which may be defined by a circumferential flange 20 extending radially outward. The enclosed upper portion 12 of the stopper 10 may comprise a semi-spherical body having two openings 32 and 34. The lower portion 14 is adapted to be inserted into the mouth 112 of the decanter 110 and thus may have an outside diameter 21 that is less than the inside diameter of decanter neck 114. In one embodiment, the lower portion 14 of the stopper 10 may have a slightly conical shape to completely fit into the neck 114 of the decanter 110, which may also have conical shape. The lower edge 21 of the flange 20 acts as an index, abutting the lip 116 of the decanter mouth 112 when the lower portion 14 is properly positioned within the decanter neck 114. In one embodiment, the lower portion 14 may also comprise a flange 36, which extends radially outward, whereby defining a circumferential groove 38 between flange 36 and flange 20.

In one embodiment, the stopper 10 may also comprise an elastic tubular sheath 30, which may be dispose around the lower portion 14 of the stopper 10. The sheath 30 may comprise a flange 40 extending radially inward to engage the groove 38 of the lower portion 14 of the stopper 10. The lower portion of sheath 10 may extend radially inward to hook around the edge of the lower portion 14 of the stopper 10. In one embodiment, the sheath 10 may have a plurality of flexible ridges 22 extending radially outward. The ridge 22 may have diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the decanter neck 114. Consequently, the ridges 22 are resiliently compressed when the lower portion 14 of the stopper 10 is inserted into the decanter mouth 112 and/or neck 114, thereby forming an airtight and fluid-tight seal between the lower portion 14 and decanter mouth 112 and/or neck 114, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the stopper 10 may be manufactured from ABS, or other type of thermoformed plastic, which may be easily molded into the required form using standard manufacturing processes known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the stopper 10 may be manufactured using other commonly available materials such as resin, silicon, or the like, or more rigid materials, such as Plexiglas, ceramic, metal, or the like. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the elastic sheath 30 may be manufactured from various resilient materials, such as resin, silicon or the like, using standard manufacturing processes known to those skilled in the art.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion 12 of the stopper 10 may comprise two openings 32 and 34, which may be defined by longitudinal, cylindrical sleeves 33 and 35, respectively. The opening 32 may house a valve assembly 36 operable to draw and maintain pressure differential within the decanter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The opening 34 may house a pressure indicator 38 operable to measure and display vacuum pressure within the decanter, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The various embodiments of the valve assembly 36 and pressure indicator 38 will be described next with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5.

FIG. 3 illustrates a valve assembly in accordance with one exemplary embodiment the present invention. The valve assembly may comprise an outer frame 40, inner frame 42, and valve 65. The one-piece, integral outer frame 40 may be composed of a resilient material, such as resin, silicon, or the like. The outer frame 40 may comprise a longitudinally extending, cylindrical sleeve portion 44, an upper flange portion 46, and a lower flange portion 48. The sleeve portion 44 is inserted within the opening 32 and through sleeve 33 of the stopper 10, and has an outside diameter 41 that is less than the inside diameter of the sleeve 33. A number of thin sealing ridges 43 extend circumferentially around and laterally outwardly from the outer surface 45 of the sleeve portion 44. The ridges 43 each have an outside diameter 47 which is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the sleeve 33. Consequently, the ridges 43 are resiliently compressed when the sleeve portion 44 is inserted into the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10, thereby forming an air-tight and fluid-tight seal between the sleeve portion 44 and sleeve 33.

The upper flange portion 46 extends laterally outward from the outer surface 45 of sleeve portion 44 and longitudinally upward from the upper end 49 of sleeve portion 44. The lower edge 51 of the upper flange 46 acts as an index, abutting the upper edge of the sleeve 33 when the sleeve portion 44 is properly positioned within the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10. A number of thin sealing ridges 57 extend circumferentially around and laterally outwardly from the outer surface of the upper flange 46. The ridges 57 each have an outside diameter which is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the sleeve 33. Consequently, the ridges 57 are resiliently compressed when the sleeve 33 engages upper flange 46 of the outer frame 40. An axial bore 52 extends longitudinally through the upper flange portion 46 and the sleeve portion 44. The lower flange portion 48 may extend laterally inward to an axial orifice 54, thereby partially closing bore 52. The orifice 54 may have tapered, conical-shape, sealing surface forming a valve seat 56, as further described below.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a rigid, one-piece, integral, inner frame 42 is disposed within the bore 52 of the outer frame 40 and is preferably composed of a hard polymeric material, such as plastic. The inner frame 42 includes a longitudinally extending, cylindrical sleeve portion 58 and an upper flange 60, which extends laterally outward from the outer surface 59 of sleeve portion 58 and longitudinally upward from the upper end 62 of sleeve portion 58. A stepped axial opening 64 extends longitudinally through the sleeve 58 and upper flange 60. The diameter of the opening 61 in the sleeve portion 58 is greater than the diameter of the opening in the upper flange portion 60, such that the upper flange portion 60 forms a downward facing shoulder 69. The upper flange 60 is received in a circumferential groove 53 on the inner surface of upper flange 46. Preferably, the outer diameter of the upper flange 60 is greater than the inside diameter of the opening 32 and sleeve 33 whereby the rigid material of upper flange 60 and the resilient material of upper flange 46 could not be inserted into the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a rigid, one-piece, integral, valve 65 is disposed in an opening 61 of the inner frame 42. The valve 65 has an upper operator portion 66 connected to a lower valve body portion 68 by a longitudinally extending shaft portion 67. The operator portion 66 has a knob-shape to facilitate gripping by a user's hand. The outside diameter of the operator portion 66 is greater than the diameter of the opening formed in the upper flange 60 of the inner frame 42 such that operator portion 66 cannot be pushed or pulled through opening 61. The valve body portion 68 has a conical shape which is complementary to that of the orifice 54 in the lower flange portion 48 of the outer frame 40 such that the seating surface 56 of the orifice 54 may form an air-tight and fluid-tight seal with the valve body portion 68 when the valve body portion 68 is urged into the orifice 54 under the vacuum pressure within the decanter 110. The tapered shape increases the frictional force between the seating surface 56 and valve body portion 68, thereby providing improved resistance to air leakage into the decanter 110. A retainer flange 63, which extends radially outward from shaft portion 67, is disposed proximate to the upper operator portion 66. The outside diameter of the retainer flange 60 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 61 in sleeve portion 58 but greater than the diameter of the opening in upper flange portion 60 such that the retainer flange 63 engages shoulder 69 to prevent complete withdrawal of the valve 65 from the inner frame 42.

FIG. 4 illustrates a valve assembly in accordance with another exemplary embodiment the present invention. The valve assembly may comprise a frame 70, cover 72, spring 74, and valve 86. The one-piece, integral frame 70 may be composed of a resilient material, such as resin, silicon, or the like. The frame 70 may comprise a cylindrical sleeve portion 76 having bore 79 and a valve seat assembly 78. The sleeve portion 76 is inserted within the opening 32 and through the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10, and has an outside diameter that is less than the inside diameter of the sleeve 33. A number of thin sealing ridges 71 extend circumferentially around and laterally outwardly from the outer surface of the sleeve portion 76. The ridges 71 each have an outside diameter which is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the sleeve 33. Thus, the ridges 71 are resiliently compressed when the sleeve portion 76 is inserted into the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10, thereby forming an airtight and fluid-tight seal between the sleeve portion 76 and the sleeve 33.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the valve seat portion 78 of the frame 70 extends longitudinally upward and laterally outward from the sleeve portion 76 to define a flange 77. The lower edge 75 of the flange 77 acts as an index, abutting upper edge of the sleeve 33 when the sleeve portion 76 is properly positioned within the sleeve 33 of the stopper 10. A number of thin sealing ridges 73 extend circumferentially around and laterally outwardly from the outer surface of the valve seat portion 78. The ridges 73 each have an outside diameter which is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the sleeve 122 of pump 120. Thus, the ridges 73 are resiliently compressed when the sleeve 122 of the pump 120 engages valve seat portion 78. The lower part of the valve seat portion 78 may extend radially inward to form an axial orifice 80, which partially closes bore 79. The valve seat portion 78 may also comprise a flange 81 extending radially inward and defining a circumferential groove 82 in a perimeter of a cavity 83.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a rigid, one-piece, integral, valve 86 extends through an orifice 85 of the valve cover 72 and spring 74. The valve 86 and cover 72 may be formed of a rigid material such as ABS, or other type of, thermoformed plastic. The spring 74 may be formed of metal or the like. The valve 86 has an upper operator portion 87 connected to a lower valve portion 89 by a longitudinally extending shaft 88. The valve shaft 88 passes through the spring 74, whereby the spring 74 is compressed between the edge of the orifice 85 and the lower valve portion 89. In one embodiment, the spring 74 may be thermally fused to the lower valve portion 89 using methods known to those of skill in the art. The operator portion 87 is knob-shaped to facilitate gripping by a user's hand. The outside diameter of the operator portion 87 may be greater than the diameter of the orifice 85 such that the operator portion 87 may not be pushed or pulled through the orifice 85.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame 70 may be sufficiently elastic so that it can be stretched to allow a flange 84 of the cover 72 to be inserted into groove 82 of the frame 70 and be held in place by flange 81 to form the valve assembly. When the cover 72 is inserted into the frame 70, the force of the expending spring 74 will work against the lower valve portion 89 and thus bring it into the abutting contact with the lower potion of the valve seat assembly 78, thereby airtight and fluid-tight sealing the orifice 80. During pumping, however, the air inside the decanter 110 pushes on the lower valve portion 89 with sufficient force to overcome the expanding force of the spring 74 and allowing air to flow out of the decanter 110 through the orifice 85 into the atmosphere. When the pumping action stops, the valve 86 is drawn in its original sealing position by the operation of the spring 74 and the vacuum pressure within the decanter.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the stopper 10 may comprise a pressure indicator operable to measure and display in the human-readable format the level of vacuum pressure within the stoppered decanter. The pressure indicator may comprise any vacuum pressure-measuring device, such as a pressure gauge, or the like. In some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure indicator may comprise a mechanical pressure gauge, such as a bourdon tube pressure gauge, diaphragm element pressure gauge, capsule element pressure gauge, absolute pressure gauge, differential pressure gauge, or the like. In another embodiment, the pressure indicator may comprise an electronic (or digital) pressure gauge, such as a thermocouple gauge, Penning gauge, thermistor gauge or the like.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pressure indicator in accordance with the present invention. An exemplary pressure indicator comprises a mechanical pressure gauge 90 operable to measure vacuum pressure within the decanter 110 and to display the measured vacuum pressure in a human-readable format. The pressure gauge 90 is disposed within the sleeve 35 of the upper portion of the stopper 10. The pressure gauge 90 may comprise a sealing sleeve 91, a cylindrical frame 92, an inner T-shaped frame 93, a piston 94, a spring 95, a card face 96, a cover 97, and a gear train 98. Those of skill in the art may recognize that various other elements and configuration of mechanical and electronic elements may be used in connection with the pressure gauge 90 to measure and display vacuum pressure within the decanter in accordance with various embodiments.

In one embodiment, the cylindrical sealing sleeve 91 may be formed of resilient material, such as resin, silicon, or the like, and disposed around the cylindrical frame 92 to provide airtight and fluid-tight seal between the sleeve 34 and the frame 92 when the pressure indicator 90 is inserted into the sleeve 34 of the upper portion 12 of the stopper 10. The lower portion of the sealing sleeve 91 may extend radially inward to form an orifice 99. The upper portion of the sealing member may comprise a flange 101 extending radially outward to engage in an airtight manner the lower edge of a radial flange 102 of the frame 92. The upper edge of the flange 102 may engage in the airtight manner the cover 97, which may be formed of rigid and transparent material, such as glass, Plexiglas, plastic or the like.

The cylindrical frame 92 may be formed of a rigid material, such as plastic. The cylindrical frame 92 may define a chamber 103. The lower portion of the cylindrical frame 92 may extend radially inward to define an orifice 104 having diameter smaller than the diameter of the chamber 103. The spring 95 may be disposed within the chamber 103 to abut the edge of the orifice 104. The piston 94 may comprise a cylindrical shaft having a bore therein. The shaft of the piston 94 extends through the chamber 103, spring 95, orifice 104, and orifice 99. The piston 94 may further comprise a plug 106 that may be inserted at the bottom into the bore of the piston 94 to seal in an airtight manner the orifice 99 and a bore of the piston 94. The piston 94 may also comprise a flange 105 extending radially outward for engaging the spring 95. In one embodiment, the spring 95 may be thermally fused at one end with the flange 105 of the piston 95 and at the other end with the bottom portion of the frame 92 to form a pressure sensor, operation of which will be described in more detail below. The T-shaped frame 93 may extend through the piston 95. The upper, horizontal portion of the T-shaped frame 93 may support an indicating needle 107 and comprise a card face 96 inscribed with the pressure indication scale, such as inches of mercury vacuum (inHg), associated with particular needle deflections. A link or the gear train 98 may be used to connect piston 94 with the T-shape frame 93 and the indication needle 107 in a manner know to those of skill in the art, and which therefore is not described here in detail.

The above-described vacuum pressure gauge operates as follows. As the air is being withdrawn from the decanter 110 to the external atmosphere through the valve assebly 24, the vacuum is drawn inside the decanter 110 and the vacuum pressure keeps increasing inside the decanter 110. This vacuum pressure is excertend on the plug 106 of the piston 94 and lower portion of the sealing sleeve 91 of the pressure gauge 90 so that the the piston 94 and the sleeve 91 are being pulled into the decanter 110. Once the vacuum pressure exceeds the force of the spring 95 disposed within the pressure gauge 90, the piston 94 will start moving downward into the decanter 110. The downward motion of the piston 94 may be transferred from a vertical plane into the horrizontal plane through a link or gear train 98 to the T-shaped frame 93 and the indicating needle 107 of the pressure gauge 90, which in turn will move along the inscribed scale on the card face 96 and indicates vacuum pressure within the decanter 110.

With reference to FIG. 6, a separate pump 120 may be used in connection with the stopper of the present invention to withdraw the air from the decanter 110 and to draw the vacuum therein. In one embodiment, the pump 120 may comprise a pump sleeve 122 with cylindrical chamber 132 having a piston 128 disposed therein. A pipe-shaped piston rod 124 extends from the piston 128 to a handle 126. A check valve, such as a mushroom-shaped non-return valve (not shown), may be mounted in an opening (not shown) in the piston 128 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The pump sleeve 122 is configured to engage the upper frame portion of valve 24, which protrudes from the upper portion of the stopper 10. The piston 128 may be manually or electrically actuated to withdraw the air through the valve assembly 24 from the decanter 110 and thus to draw vacuum therein. When the piston rod 124 and piston 128 move upwards, the check valve prevents flow through the opening in the piston 128, thereby extracting air from the decanter via valve 24. When the piston 128 is subsequently moved downwards, the air passes through the opening in the piston 128 and exhausts through an opening 134 in the upper portion of the pump sleeve 122.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the decanter 110 may comprise any type of vessel capable of holding a fluid therein. The decanter 110 may be manufactured using standard manufacturing processes know to those of skill in the art. In one embodiment, the decanter 110 may be manufactured from various rigid and preferably transparent materials such as glass, Plexiglas, plastic, ABS or the like. The thickness of the walls of the decanter 110 should be sufficient to withstand internal vacuum pressures higher than the external atmospheric pressure. In one embodiment, the thickness of the decanter walls may range from 2-7 mm to withstand internal vacuum pressures up to 50 inHg or higher. Those of skill in the art may recognize that the decanter's pressure resistance may depend on the type of the material from which the decanter is manufactured and the thickness of the decanter walls.

The operation of the wine preserving system of the present invention will be described next with reference to FIG. 7 as well as FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6. FIG. 6 shows a cross-section view of a partially filled wine decanter 110 into which the stopper 10 has been inserted and a cross-section view of pump 120 positioned on the stopper 10. In operation, the stopper 10 is inserted into the neck 114 of the decanter 110, preferably until the lower surface 21 of ledge 20 of stopper 10 (see FIG. 2) seats on the lip 116 of the decanter mouth 112. The flexible ridges of the lower portion of the stopper come into the sealing contact with the throat 114 of the decanter 110 to airtight seal it, step 710. Then, the sealing end of sleeve 122 of the pump 120 may be installed on the stopper 10, preferably with the sealing end of sleeve 122 pressing against and sealing to upper surface 27 of ledge 26 of the stopper 10.

With reference to FIG. 3, during the suction stroke of the pump 120, air inside the decanter 110 pushes the valve 65 upward, unseating valve body portion 68 from the orifice 54, and establishing an air path through the stopper 10, step 720. The air flows through the orifice 54 and out of the stopper 10 via the stepped opening 61 of the inner frame 42. When the pumping action stops, the vacuum in the decanter draws the valve 65 downward to engage the valve body portion 68 within orifice 54, thereby sealing the air passage, step 730. The pressure differential across the valve 65 will further urge the valve 65 downward, thereby pushing the flexible lower flange portion 48 of the outer body 40 down towards the inside of the decanter 110. To remove the decanter stopper 10, the vacuum may be released by grasping operator portion 66 of valve and pulling the valve 65 upward, thereby unseating the valve body portion 68 from orifice 54.

With reference to FIG. 5, the vacuum in the decanter 110 acts on the plug 106 of the piston 94 and lower portion of the sealing sleeve 91 of the pressure gauge 90 so that the the piston 94 and the sleeve 91 are being pulled into the decanter 110 due to the vacuum pressure. Once the vacuum pressure exceeds the force of the spring 95 disposed within the pressure gauge 90, the piston 94 will start moving downward into the decanter 110, thereby measuring vacuum pressure within the decanter 110, step 740. The downward motion of the piston 94 is transferred through gear train 98 to the indicating needle 107 of the pressure gauge 90, which in turn will move along the inscribed scale on the card face 96 and indicate vacuum pressure within the decanter 110, step 750. Once the desired vacuum presure is achieved within the decanter 110, the pumping may subside, thereby preserving the wine in the decanter 110 in the substantially air free atmospherer, i.e., vacuum.

Again with reference to FIG. 3 and 5, should the airtight seal between the valve body portion 68 and orifice 54 leak, or should the decanter depressurize in any other way, the vacuum pressure within the decanter 110 will begin dropping. This vacuum pressure drop will be detected by the pressure gauge 90, step 760. The indicating needle 107 of the pressure gauge 90 will move to indicate the drop in vacuum pressure, step 770. Once such drop in the pressure has been observed, the user may again utilize pump 120 to withdraw the access air from the decanter 110 thereby bring vacuum level within the decanter 110 to the desired level and reestablishing airtight seal between valve body portion 68 and orifice 54 of the valve assembly 24. This process may be periodically repeated thereby ensuring that the unconsumed wine stored in the decanter 110 is preserved without oxidation or other chemical reactions until it is completely consumed.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

1. A stopper for a vessel, the stopper comprising: a cylindrical body having a lower potion adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth and for forming an airtight seal therein and an enclosed upper portion having a first and a second openings; a valve assembly disposed within the first opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body, wherein the valve assembly is operable to draw and maintain a pressure differential within the vessel; and a pressure indicator disposed within the second opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body for indicating vacuum pressure within the vessel.
 2. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the pressure indicator comprises a pressure sensor operable to measure vacuum pressure within the vessel and a display means for displaying in a human-readable form the measured vacuum pressure.
 3. The stopper of claim 1 further comprising an elastic sheath dispose around the lower portion of the cylindrical body, the sheath having a plurality of ridges extending radially outward for forming an airtight sealing contact with the vessel mouth.
 4. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly comprises: a rigid cover having an orifice therethrough and a flange; a spring; a valve extending through the spring and through the orifice of the cover; and an elastic frame having a circumferential lip defining a groove for engaging the flange of the cover, wherein the lower portion of the frame is adapted for insertion into the first opening in the upper portion of the stopper and wherein the upper portion of the frame is adapted for engaging a pump.
 5. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly comprises: an elastic outer frame having a lower flange extending radially inward to define a lower orifice having a sealing surface and an upper flange portion extending radially outward and having a circumferential groove on the inner surface thereof; a rigid inner frame having an upper flange extending radially outward to engage the circumferential groove and an upper flange extending radially inward to define an upper orifice; a valve extending through the upper orifice to the lower orifice and having a flange extending radially outward for engaging the inward extending upper flange of the inner frame and a lower portion for engaging the sealing surface of lower orifice of the outer frame.
 6. The stopper of claim 5, wherein a lower portion of the outer frame is adapted for insertion into the first opening in the upper portion of the stopper, and an upper portion of the outer frame is adapted for engaging a pump.
 7. A system for preserving a beverage in a vessel, the system comprising: a stopper adapted for engaging and airtight sealing the vessel mouth, the stopper comprising (i) a valve assembly operable to draw and maintain a pressure differential within the vessel, and (ii) a pressure indicator operable to indicate vacuum pressure within the vessel; and a pump operable to engage the valve assembly and to draw therethrough gas from within the vessel to an external atmosphere.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stopper comprises a cylindrical body having a lower potion adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth and for forming an airtight seal therein and an enclosed upper portion having a first opening and a second opening.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the valve assembly is disposed within the first opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body of the stopper.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the pressure indicator is disposed within the second opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body of the stopper.
 11. The stopper of claim 7, wherein the pressure indicator comprises a pressure sensor operable to measure vacuum pressure within the vessel and a display means for displaying in a human-readable form the measured vacuum pressure.
 12. The stopper of claim 7, wherein the pump comprises one of a manual pump and an electric pump.
 13. The stopper of claim 7 further comprising an elastic sheath dispose around the lower portion of the cylindrical body, the sheath having a plurality of ridges extending radially outward for forming an airtight sealing contact with the vessel mouth.
 14. The stopper of claim 7, wherein the valve assembly comprises: a rigid cover having an orifice therethrough and a flange; a spring; a valve extending through the spring and through the orifice of the cover; and an elastic frame having a circumferential lip defining a groove for engaging the flange of the cover, wherein the lower portion of the frame is adapted for insertion into the first opening in the upper portion of the stopper and wherein the upper portion of the frame is adapted for engaging the pump.
 15. The stopper of claim 7, wherein the valve assembly comprises: an elastic outer frame having a lower flange extending radially inward to define a lower orifice having a sealing surface and an upper flange portion extending radially outward and having a circumferential groove on the inner surface thereof; a rigid inner frame having an upper flange extending radially outward to engage the circumferential groove and an upper flange extending radially inward to define an upper orifice; a valve extending through the upper orifice to the lower orifice and having a flange extending radially outward for engaging the inward extending upper flange of the inner frame and a lower portion for engaging the sealing surface of lower orifice of the outer frame.
 16. The stopper of claim 15, wherein a lower portion of the outer frame is adapted for insertion into the first opening in the upper portion of the stopper, and an upper portion of the outer frame is adapted for engaging the pump.
 17. A method for preserving a beverage in a vessel using a stopper adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth, the method comprising the steps of: the stopper airtight sealing the vessel mouth; providing a path through the stopper for withdrawing air from within the vessel into the external atmosphere, thereby drawing a vacuum within the vessel; detecting a vacuum pressure within the vessel; displaying in a human-readable form an indication of the detected vacuum pressure within the vessel; and airtight sealing the air path through the stopper to maintain the pressure differential within the vessel.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of detecting a vacuum pressure drop within the vessel.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of displaying in a human-readable form an indication of the the detected vacuum pressure drop.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of providing a valve assembly operable to provide the air path through the stopper.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of providing a valve operable to airtight seal the air path through the valve assembly.
 22. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of providing a pressure indicator operable to measure vacuum pressure within the vessel and display the measured pressure in a human-readable form.
 23. The method of claim 20, fuirther comprises the step of providing a pump adapted to engage the valve assembly and to draw air from within the vessel to an external atmosphere.
 24. A system for preserving a beverage, the system comprising: a vessel for storing the beverage therein, wherein the vessel is operative to withstand an internal pressure higher than an external atmospheric pressure, a stopper adapted for engaging and airtight sealing the vessel mouth, the stopper comprising (i) a valve assembly operable to draw and maintain a pressure differential within the vessel, and (ii) a pressure indicator operable to indicate vacuum pressure within the vessel; and a pump operable to engage the valve assembly and to draw therethrough gas from within the vessel to an external atmosphere.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the stopper comprises a cylindrical body having a lower potion adapted for insertion into the vessel mouth and for forming an airtight seal therein and an enclosed upper portion having a first opening and a second opening.
 26. The system of claim 25 wherein the valve assembly is disposed within the first opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body of the stopper.
 27. The system of claim 25, wherein the pressure indicator is disposed within the second opening of the upper portion of the cylindrical body of the stopper.
 28. The system of claim 24, wherein the pressure indicator comprises a pressure sensor operable to measure vacuum pressure within the vessel and a display means for displaying in a human-readable form an indication of the measured vacuum pressure.
 29. The system of claim 25 further comprising an elastic sheath dispose around the lower portion of the cylindrical body, the sheath having a plurality of ridges extending radially outward for forming an airtight sealing contact with the vessel mouth.
 30. The system of claim 24, wherein the pump comprises one of a manual pump and an electric pump.
 31. The system of claim 24, wherein the vessel is operative to withstand an internal vacuum pressure of about 50 inHg or less.
 32. The system of claim 24, wherein the vessel is made of a rigid transparent material, comprising one or more of glass, Plexiglas, and plastic.
 33. The system of claim 24, wherein the thickness of the vessel wall is greater than 3 mm. 